"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations. "
Psalm 100:1-5
"Three times a year all your men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles. No man should appear before the LORD empty-handed."
Deut.16:16
I was raised to never visit another's home without bringing something with you...never show up empty handed. You bring something pleasant with you, handing it to the Master of the house.
So it is when we go the Lord in prayer and worship. We don't show up empty handed, we bring with us the two things that our Father/ Creator God will accept: thanksgiving and praise.
I have learned that I must jettison all distractions, preoccupations, and self-issues and concerns if I am to be able to bring the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving before His throne. I am simply unable to bring both...
The scriptures tell us that "the Lord inhabits the praises of His people".
For years I wondered at the phrase-"sacrifice of praise"...what does that really mean?
What does this mean to you? Have you ever given it serious thought or has it always been just a term, snappy Christianese catch phrase, words in a song, perhaps?
A sacrifice means bringing, offering something valuable, something that cost you dearly.
To me, what a "sacrifice of praise" is not is sitting in the back of the church sanctuary during worship twittering, facebooking etc with my phone, reading the bulletin, glued to the pew/chair by a fear of man, or just warming the seat, as thoughts wander, thinking about where to go for lunch, who's playing in what sports event today- while we throw less than crumbs to our Father who has held nothing back from us, including the life of His only Son. He loves us so jealously, so furiously, and so many take Him so casually!
We should consider whose presence we are in quite soberly.
I want to leave the sanctuary hoarse from proclaiming praises, exclaiming my adoration for Him. If I am still hoarse on Monday, I will gladly say it is from WORSHIPPING THE LORD, not cheering a sports team!
Remember who He is, what He has done for us, and let's not treat His great grace, mercy, and love with familiarity or contempt.
Beloved, today consider what should be done for the One that you owe everything, even your very life, to.
He alone is worthy.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations. "
Psalm 100:1-5
"Three times a year all your men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles. No man should appear before the LORD empty-handed."
Deut.16:16
I was raised to never visit another's home without bringing something with you...never show up empty handed. You bring something pleasant with you, handing it to the Master of the house.
So it is when we go the Lord in prayer and worship. We don't show up empty handed, we bring with us the two things that our Father/ Creator God will accept: thanksgiving and praise.
I have learned that I must jettison all distractions, preoccupations, and self-issues and concerns if I am to be able to bring the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving before His throne. I am simply unable to bring both...
The scriptures tell us that "the Lord inhabits the praises of His people".
For years I wondered at the phrase-"sacrifice of praise"...what does that really mean?
What does this mean to you? Have you ever given it serious thought or has it always been just a term, snappy Christianese catch phrase, words in a song, perhaps?
A sacrifice means bringing, offering something valuable, something that cost you dearly.
To me, what a "sacrifice of praise" is not is sitting in the back of the church sanctuary during worship twittering, facebooking etc with my phone, reading the bulletin, glued to the pew/chair by a fear of man, or just warming the seat, as thoughts wander, thinking about where to go for lunch, who's playing in what sports event today- while we throw less than crumbs to our Father who has held nothing back from us, including the life of His only Son. He loves us so jealously, so furiously, and so many take Him so casually!
We should consider whose presence we are in quite soberly.
I want to leave the sanctuary hoarse from proclaiming praises, exclaiming my adoration for Him. If I am still hoarse on Monday, I will gladly say it is from WORSHIPPING THE LORD, not cheering a sports team!
Remember who He is, what He has done for us, and let's not treat His great grace, mercy, and love with familiarity or contempt.
Beloved, today consider what should be done for the One that you owe everything, even your very life, to.
He alone is worthy.
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